2021

Weekend 1/52 was a success!

Is it because in addition to having black eyed peas on the 1st for prosperity in the new year we had tons of sweets for a sweet new year and rose hard candies for a rosy outlook? I made those last two up but I’m running with it!

Highlights include…

I am on my last carton of eggnog for the season and I am still 11/10 enjoying it in coffee.

We obviously bought this Lucy Glo apple because the Trader Joe’s end cap said it was Instagram-famous and it ended up being delicious – crispy and a good mix of citrus and sweet.

We have both cookie butter and fresh berries in the apartment so clearly I’ve eaten a million yogurt bowls.

100% impressed with the newest Reese’s cup variety – pretzel!

These Levain cookies aren’t quite as good as the fresh-baked ones in stores but they are the very best not-from-scratch cookies you’ll ever make at home.

Also loved this crispy Maman caramel, hazelnut, chocolate chip cookie.

A hot take on the black eyed pea salad we’ve loved for years. BEP, green bell pepper, turkey andouille sausage, smoked almonds, sharp cheddar, and green Tabasco.

Eggs scrambled with peas and crushed potato chips, topped with chili crisp.

Brunch from Edith’s, the Jewish food pop-up in Greenpoint. Braised brisket sandwich with labneh cole slaw, spicy pickles, and pickled mustard seed on a house-made Kaiser roll // house-smoked salmon mac and cheese.

Also they served me a cold brew with amaretto that legitimately blew my mind — we ended up adding a liquor store stop on our way home so I can make my own next weekend.

Hope everyone’s year is off to a smooth and happy start!

Can’t (Co)Quit(o)

The last week has been pretty wonderful; we made it through the first winter storm unscathed and I’ve officially eaten all of the on-theme holiday things I was excited about for this year!

Highlights included…

787‘s iced coquito latte won our hearts as our favorite coffee of the year! So thick and wonderfully spiced and just sweet enough! We also had a fantastic marzipan latte.

We tried, and loved, the new-ish Fan Fan Doughnuts.

Strawberry jam filled / salted brown butter caramel glazed / pecan hawaij sticky bun.

Lunch at Nowon. I thought I didn’t like soju but this Tiger Bomb cocktail with jasmine, yuja citron, and mint syrup changed my mind.

I kept warm with Fire Chicken – spicy chicken with cabbage, rice cakes, and mozarella.

And lost my mind for the honey butter tater tots with labneh and seaweed.

Checking out Leyenda‘s Sleyenda decorations is our favorite holiday tradition and this year’s outdoor set up did not disappoint.

I had a Coquito Ho Ho – tequilla, sherry, coconut liquor, and coconut with cinnamon and egg.

And a Candy Striper which was hands-down our favorite cocktail/beverage of the year. I said at least ten times “this drink is making me so happy!” It’s a frozen blend of cachaça, coconut, vanilla, maple, lime, peppermint, and cardamom.

Hummus and pretzels with nougat and candied apricot candies my parents sent me.

Malai‘s toasted nutmeg ice cream basically tastes like eggnog! And the consistency is out of this world.

We made a batch of my Bahn Mi Chicken Salad and it was even better than I remembered. With roasted veggies and local sourdough.

Sourdough also made an appearance in great turkey sandwiches with cheddar, jam, and garlic mayo. Plus baby carrots and salted egg yolk chips.

Buffalo chicken meatball sandwiches. With sauteed carrot and celery in a mustard sauce.

Flock Together

I worked all weekend – crazy busy but super interesting days; we’ve had a ton of micronutrient deficiencies lately and I’ve really gotten to flex my nutrition-focused physical exam skills – but Adam and I managed to have some excellent date nights.

Highlights include…

Strawberry iced latte from Copper Mug Coffee.

Eggnog things!

Eggnog punch bubble tea from Lazy Sundaes. I have been wondering for years why no one was doing the egg nog and boba combo and it was just as tasty as I had anticipated.

Pumpkin cupcake and eggnog pudding trifle from Sugar Sweet Sunshine.

Homemade fish taco bowls. Roasted cabbage with lime Sriracha crema and beer-battered cod.

The new best dinner of the year from Canary Club. We ate in the frigid wind on the stoop (it could not have been any more safely socially distanced nor any more cold) so I couldn’t take photos but the the meal was a 10/10. Spicy mezcal cocktail with genepy, lime, pineapple, and pink peppercorn plus a berry rickey with cinnamon cachaça and citrus wild berry cider // black sesame tempura carrots with chili tahini and dill // smoked delicata squash with pecorino, creole butter, and Malaysian peanuts // duck fat broccoli and cauliflower with cilantro and toasted almonds // hanger steak with olive relish, crispy corn cakes, and French onion sauce.

An epic take-out spread from Birds of a Feather. We piled giant plates with numbing-spicy goodness!

We ordered a million things so we could try everything that sounded good and have leftovers for dinners next week: steamed curry chicken dumplings // chive pancakes with egg and dried shrimp // poached wood ear mushrooms with pickled peppers and cucumbers in a vinegar sauce // sautéed Chinese broccoli with soy sauce and scallions // string beans in ginger sauce // spicy and sour tofu pudding // shredded chicken with sesame and chili oil // spicy cumin lamb with bell peppers and miso // cold Sichuan noodles with peanut paste, chili oil, and peppercorns // fried rice with mustard green shoots // fried rice with shredded duck.

Plus Levain for dessert!

Thankful

I hope all of my American readers had a safe but satisfying Thanksgiving. Adam and I both worked the holiday but were able to continue our tradition of Thanksgiving night nachos! And thankfully our days ended early enough that we had time to chat with my parents while taking the dog on a cocktail walk and Zoom conference with all of my in-laws in the evening.

We spent a little time talking about things we are thankful for which was an easy assignment for me because I feel like thankful is actually my primary state of being – at least five times a day I thank my lucky stars that I just get to know Adam and Webster, let alone have them both love me back.

By the way, even my non-holiday eats were still pretty much on-theme because the short list of superficial things I’m thankful for definitely includes coffee, boba, sprinkles, ice cream, and pizza! Highlights from the past week include…

Stumptown holiday spice iced latte.

Thompson Square Bagels (my favorite in the city) poppy seed with birthday cake cream cheese.

Yogurt bowl win. Plain Greek with peanut butter, cranberry dressing, and granola. Trader Joe’s cranberry dressing (the stuff in the refrigerated section, not the canned one) is the best in the game.

This s’mores kefir was good but not as exciting as I wanted it to be.

Whole Foods has a whole line of specialty holiday ice cream flavors so I am obviously going to be eating ice cream every day for the next month.

Brown sugar creme brulee bubble tea!

Thanksgiving nachos. This year we did Trader Joe’s horseradish and chives potato chips / shredded cheese / duck fennel sausage / shishito peppers / cranberry dressing. Plus roasted brussel sprouts on the side.

And we stayed on theme with maple margaritas.

No pie for dessert, but we did have these festive truffles.

Roasted broccoli and cabbage with spicy cashew sauce and rolled tofu.

We lucked out that Taglio is so close to our apartment because they are currently my favorite pizza in the city. This roasted potato and vodka slice were both 10/10. Plus they have given a ton of food to the workers at Adam’s hospital throughout the pandemic so I am thrilled to support them (multiple times a week!).

Homemade chili topped with sour cream, jalopenos, and pimento cheese. I used duck sausage, black beans, orange bell pepper, poblano pepper, sweet onion, diced tomato, spices, and beer.

Plus a beer for the cook.

See Food Diet

Highlights from this week include…

The salted caramel Perfect bar is perfect.

Black and white cookie. I’ve decided I have not been eating nearly enough bagels or black and white cookies.

If you haven’t tried the hot honey chicken sandwich from Melt Shop yet get yourself there immediately. It has hot honey and jalopeno pimento cheese!

We went with a seafood theme for dinners this week and each night was better than the last! Seared scallops with crispy garlic smashed potatoes and sauteed bok choy and radish greens.

Roasted cabbage with sliced radishes, avocado crema, and Whole Food’s frozen fish fillets.

Broccoli rice with five spice quick pickled cucumbers, furikake, Sriracha aioli, and smoked salmon.

Black Cherry, Black Bean

My work situation this past week/weekend was crazy, over-the-top busy so I don’t have a ton to share from the past seven days because I mostly ate weird snacks and sad take-out. I am actually off Monday and Tuesday this week and I could not be more excited for my “weekend.”

Here were five things I ate and loved…

{1} Top Apple Month success so far has been these caramel apple mellowcremes. They are as delicious as they are adorable!

{2} Still obsessed with Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda. I don’t know how I let this stuff fall off my radar the past few years, it’s fantastic!

{3} Also obsessed with these Trader Joe’s turkey corndogs. They are the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

{4} These buffalo blue bean burgers remain the best recipe I’ve ever created. Paired with homemade coleslaw with yellow raisins and sesame seeds. I roasted the cabbage which was a total upgrade.

{5} Before our busy weekend Adam and I managed to get into Brooklyn for a date on Friday – take-out from Donna Cocktail while watching the sunset in Domino Park! I had a frozen margarita and the best taco I’ve ever eaten. P.S. Then we went to second dinner at Meckelberg’s and split three sandwiches!

Apple/Spice Month

We were trying to eat through some of our stores before I went grocery shopping this weekend so the past week we ate a lot of random foods from the back of the freezer and take-out. Somehow it worked out that everything was delicious! Highlights include…

First things first, it is Apple/Spice Month! Yes, I am already feverishly shopping for pumpkin beers too.

Peanut butter and jelly crispy waffle from Costa Nova + an iced latte.

Leftover olives from our dinner at Glasserie.

Local Cava Guava IPA which was basically beer champagne.

Adam and I are both 10/10, head over heels obsessed with these Swedish Swedish fish. We bought every flavor we could get our hands on at the store the other day.

We also lost it for these Ben & Jerry’s cinnamon bun cookie dough bites. We had their original cookie dough flavor when it first came out and were underwhelmed but these were outstanding.

Trader Joe’s Asian stir-fry veggies topped with scrambled eggs.

Boca Burgers with beautiful roasted purple potato and roasted broccoli with chili spice.

Chipotle nachos! Tortilla chips with cheese, chicken, roasted peppers, corn salsa, and guacamole.

Homemade okonomiyaki. Topped with Kewpie, Sriracha, and furikake.

Buffalo chicken pizza is good, but leftover buffalo chicken pizza topped with honey and Korean chili flake is even better.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I worked (long days!) Friday, Saturday, Sunday but we still had a fun weekend with amazing date nights!  Five favorites were – –

Mekelburg’s rose black halva latte – an oat milk iced iced latte with rose halvah syrup, topped with rose petals and sesame seeds.

IMG_3730

Westbrook Brewings‘ lemon meringue pie gose might be even better than their key lime pie gose!

IMG_3734

Friday night we cuddled on the couch with nachos and ice cream and (re)watched “Love and Basketball” and it was kind of the best.  Chipotle nacho hack – order chips and a rice bowl without rice (this one had chicken, fajita veggies, corn salsa, and cheese (and guacamole on the side!)) and bake.

IMG_3725

We got three -epic – sandwiches from Mekelburg’s and had a picnic down by the water near Domino Park. Waygu roast beef for Adam / a bahn mi with Peking duck, duck rillettes, and sambal hoisin mayo for me / a Mekelburger with dry-aged beef, American cheese, grilled onions, fried onions, and tarragon mustard on Hawaiian bun to share.

IMG_3738

Chinese take-out to finish the weekend.  I got chili oil tofu with cabbage, celery and white rice.

IMG_3749